2021-03156. Walden Hydro, LLC; Notice of Application Ready for Environmental Analysis and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms and Conditions, and Prescriptions

Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.

a. Type of Application: New Major License.

b. Project No.: P-4428-011.

c. Date filed: May 29, 2020.

d. Applicant: Walden Hydro, LLC.

e. Name of Project: Walden Hydroelectric Project.

f. Location: On the Wallkill River, in the Village of Walden, Orange County, New York. The project does not occupy any federal land.

g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).

h. Applicant Contact: Tim Carlsen, CEO, Hydroland, Inc.,^[1] 403 Madison Ave. #240, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110; Phone at [phone] or email at [e-mail].

i. FERC Contact: Samantha Pollak at [phone], or [e-mail].

j. Deadline for filing comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions: 60 days from the issuance date of this notice; reply comments are due 105 days from the issuance date of this notice.

The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file scoping comments using the Commission's eFiling system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/​FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/​QuickComment.aspx. You must include your name and contact information at the end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at [e-mail], [phone] (toll free), or [phone] (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The first page of any filing should include docket number P-4428-011.

The Commission's Rules of Practice require all intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person on the official service list for the project. Further, if an intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency.

k. This application has been accepted and is now ready for environmental analysis.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued a final rule on July 15, 2020, revising the regulations under 40 CFR parts 1500-1518 that federal agencies use to implement NEPA (see Update to the Regulations Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, 85 FR 43,304). The Final Rule became effective on and applies to any NEPA process begun after September 14, 2020. An agency may also apply the regulations to ongoing activities and environmental documents begun before September 14, 2020, which includes the proposed Walden Project. Commission staff intends to conduct its NEPA review in accordance with CEQ's new regulations.

l. The Walden Project consists of: (1) A 417-foot-long (consisting of 165-foot-long east-west and 252-foot-long north-south portions), V-shaped concrete dam topped with 2-foot-high flashboards; (2) an impoundment with a surface area of 69 acres at the normal pool elevation of 321.3 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD29); (3) an intake structure consisting of a 252-foot-long, 56-foot-wide, 18-foot-deep canal forebay; (4) a 6-foot-wide sluice gate for a minimum flow of 31 cfs; (5) four 40-foot-long steel penstocks; (6) a 60-foot-long, 45-foot-wide, 29-foot-high powerhouse containing three horizontal double-runner Francis turbine units with actual ratings of 740 kilowatts (kW), 540 kW, and 360 kW, respectively, for a total capacity of 1,640 kW; ^[2] (7) a 30-foot-long, 37-foot-wide tailrace; (8) a 230-foot-long bypassed reach; (9) a 115-foot-long transmission line from the project generators to a New York State Electric and Gas Corporation's 4.16-kilovolt (kV) distribution line; (10) a substation with a single-phase 13.2-kV transformer; and (11) appurtenant facilities.

Walden Hydro proposes to continue operating the project in a run-of-river mode, with no changes to the existing operation or facilities.

m. A copy of the application is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's website at http://www.ferc.gov using the “eLibrary” link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support. A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above.

All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title “COMMENTS”, “REPLY COMMENTS”, “RECOMMENDATIONS,” “TERMS AND CONDITIONS,” or “PRESCRIPTIONS;” (2) set forth in the heading the name of the applicant and the project number of the application to which the filing responds; (3) furnish the name, address, and telephone number of the person submitting the filing; and (4) otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All comments, recommendations, terms and conditions or prescriptions must set forth their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant. Each filing must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed on the service list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.

You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

n. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following the date of issuance of this notice: (1) A copy of the water quality certification; (2) a copy of the request for certification, including proof of the date on which the certifying agency received the request; or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality certification.

o. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as appropriate.

Milestone	Target date
Deadline for Filing Comments, Recommendations, and Agency Terms and Conditions/Prescriptions	April 2021.
Deadline for Filing Reply Comments	May 2021.

Dated: February 10, 2021.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  In a February 3, 2021 filing, the Commission was notified that Enel Green Power North America, Inc. transferred all its ownership interests for Walden Hydro, LLC to Hydroland, Inc.

2.  In an October 14, 2020 filing, Walden Hydro stated that although the total rated capacity of the project as stated in the license application is 2,110 kW (980 kW, 630 kW, and 500 kW), the maximum achievable output from each turbine/generator unit is lower than the stated capacities.